a developmental update

So I thought I'd write about Tara today, what she is up to and what I think about it. She will turn two in about three weeks and this makes me especially homesick. We will be, and have missed, a number of friends birthdays, but there is always next year :)
Tara now repeats any word you ask her to, if there are too many sylables she just adds a la la in the middle, and if she is too tired to try she adds a wawawawalala all sing songy and smart assed. It reminds me of how parents sounded on Charlie Brown, like she wants to get the point across that whatever you are saying really does not matter to her in the slightest.
She still signs, which helps a lot because as she is adding to her vocabulary she is not enunciating any new sounds. So daddy means dad and dog still; baba means puzzle, bubbles, blanket, yogurt; bish means milk (german pronunciation: milsh), please, dish. I could go on forever. I think I'm discerning some slight variations, but with her signing or being in context she really communicates quite well. I just notice when she is with another adult and is asking for something, they just have NO CLUE what is coming out of her mouth.
She does do something strange though. We are now requiring her to say please, so when she asks for milch, we do not respond until the please comes out of her mouth. When she strings two words together they come out separated, like they are different thoughts. If she is saying a compound word this does not happen, like highchair she just says straight through, but Tara's chair, or push please, or milch please has a long silent gap in between, like she has to think about another word to say, they are not linked yet.
Her favorite games seems to be puzzles and reading and rocking on her rocking moose. I'm not sure how long the puzzle thing will last, it is not a challenge anymore, she just puts the pieces in without seeming to have to think about it. Nate turned a puzzle upside down the other day to see if it would confuse her, but she just went about putting the pieces in their correct spots, saying 'updown' 'updown' for upside down. Tempermentally she is still the same happy girl, she tried to throw a fit the other evening when she was tired, she did not want Nate to touch her puzzle or something, she laid down on the ground, quite gracefully, no throwing of herself about. Cried for a few seconds, and I asked her if she was tired and wanted a snuggle and then to go to bed and she said 'ya, seep, beez' So we started bedtime and that was it for her tantrum. She does get whiny when I walk away from her to do some errand or pick up a bike or something and I just tell her to come hold my hand and no more whining. She is still eager to please, so I guess I'm still waiting for the first terrible two temper to appear.
Our breastfeeding seems to be at an end, a few weeks ago I decided to start asking her to nurse right after dinner, so we'd still have over an hour before bed, we did this for a few nights or a week and then I just 'forgot' to ask her and she did not notice and went to bed quite easily. The second night was not as easy, she asked to 'urse' and I told her that we were not doing that anymore, she snuggled for a while, but was okay at bedtime, and now it is just routine. A week later on a weekend I stopped the after nap one. Nate was home, so I just dissapeared for as long as I could and then walked her around. As soon as I sat, she'd ask, so we just stood and walked for a long time, then I asked her if she wanted to go blow bubbles with daddy, and that got the response I wanted, a jump from my arms and a run to the door. Apparently bubbles are as great as nursing, who would have thought! Yesterday was hard, the first day Nate was not home at naptime, but we got through it and hopefully now I can just tell her that we don't do that anymore. The wake up one is going to be the hardest and I'll just wait until she wants something else more. I don't even want to bear a week of unpleasant mornings for the sake of stopping, so we'll just wait to see what her schedule requires.
Potty training, may I reccomend NOT trying this in the winter, just don't do it, no point in stressing out, it is just SO MUCH easier in nice weather. Tara was doing great until we had to spend our days inside. For nice weather, just put on a long shirt or dress and they go when they want, it is fun, they want to pee in the grass and watch their friends do the same. Now she just tells me one second before it comes, or not until her pants are wet and she is standing on one leg with a dripping sock and says peepee, mommy. We go through like three pants a day, now we're going back to diapers anytime we leave the house and wearing them inside sometimes, there are just too many layers to take off in time.
Well nap time just ended early, so bye for now

Some videos

I thought I'd try to post some videos to she the grandparents and whoever else wants to see how much fun puzzles and splashing in the rain can be

our first visitors

First I would like to say sorry, I've been out of touch a while and am feeling particularly neglectful of many of my friendships. I want you to know that I think of everyone who has ever been in my life on a regular basis and if I should be there to lend a helping hand, know that I'm thinking of you all the time.

We got our first overseas visit mid October, my parents came to stay and it was lovely. We started off slowly, resting a lot, and just playing in the parking lot. Tara took to grammy (aka me-me)quick as lightning, after 10 min's in our house they were up in her room playing together, without me!!! I don't remember what I did, I just remember being SO happy. Tara grammy, papa and I spent time in Nurnberg, Bamberg, Jena and Dresden, we also spent so time in the Frankfurt airport and trainstation, but I don't think I'll tell you all about that.
They were here over Halloween, Jena is just starting to have kids trick or treat (like for the last year or two), so they were all very excited, but had no idea what to do, most of them were either wizards (boys) or princesses. Tara was a marienkafer, a ladybug. I covered her backpack with red felt and pinned black spots to that, it was fun to make, but she did not want to keep it on very long.
My parents visit was an all too short three weeks, I don't know what I'll do until we have grandma and grandpa here in the spring.
After my parents left, Nate and Tara and I spent a week in Rome. Lovely people, lovely food and lovely weather until our last day, but walking around the vatican and center of Rome getting wet and grumpy was fun too. I'll have to say that I loved the pizza (many varieties without cheese!) and the pasta was great, but I'm now home cooking chickpea lentil curry and have plans for chicken and broccoli tomorrow night. I am thouroughly DONE with pig meat!!! I do not like it sam I am, I do not like pig meat or ham. I say that after a morning spent baking pigs in blankets for a little party tonight for Martinstag, of which I have no idea, other than little kids are carrying around lanterns with real candles inside (I hope this ends well, I'll let you know)
I've posted lots of pictures of Paris, Rome, my parents visit and our Jena friends folder has lots of shot of our complex and our friends. Tara is getting so big. She has always been independant, but now it is her way or the cry way (part of this is due to much spoiling from the grandparents :) ) She can now jump about 5 inches up or forward and her favorite game is what we like to call ribbit, she can jump for hours it seems. She still only speaks in two to three word sentences, no pronouns as of yet, if you ask her if she is a baby, or daddys little helper, or whatever, she responds with "NEIN (no), Tara" Her favorite letter for the week has been "F" and goes straght to it when we sing our ABC's.
I miss you all, and wish I could be there for all my mom's groups coming birthdays, and for all of those friends who are struggling.

My Paris thoughts

As we ride home on the train:
I remember Paris as rude and fast paced, they have changed a lot over the last 15 years or so. Everyone was friendly and helpful, they seemed rushed but not overly so; I now have a very different, pleasing view of the city. Our first full day we walked Nate to the UNESCO building and then went on our way. We passed the Amory, where five horses were being exercised, one rider figured out that Tara was waving and he waved each time he passed us again. Tara kept saying Nay-Nay so we sat and watched for about half an hour.
We made our way to the Eiffel tower park and found a wonderful playground, empty when we arrived, it quickly filled up with international nannies and parents. Over the next three mornings we saw any of the same people; the sun even came out a couple of times.
Taras and my adventures included walking around the Eiffel tower, eating in many pattisieres, coming home for nap and then spending our afternoons at the aquarium, at the Siene (watching the boats) and ina laudry mat. I had my first adult conversation there where a person studying to be an interpreter and I talked about politics, the EU in general and books, inclluding one I'd like to read entitled "A year in Merde (shit)" fiction about a year in Paris.
Our hotel "Nouvel Hotel Eiffel" (www.nouvelhotel-paris15.com, for my reference later)was more than we could expect. The rooms are tiny, but the people make up for the difference and more so. They brought upa mattress for Tara and then a step stool for her to use in the bathroom (she only had three accidents all week! two of which could have been avoided, we were just not paying attention). Tara bumped her head pretty hard on a tabe and before I was done kissing it someone had brought a frozen water bottle for her head. The desk attendants meet you once and from then on seemed to know what language to speak to you in. The maids, there were two, seemed to love Tara, and after knocking to clean the room during nap time our first day, changed their schedule so that they would not disturb her. And, they were more than willing to translate for us when we got a nanny who only spoke french.
The food was pretty good, it was hard to figure out where had food and where you should just sit for cafe au lait. D'juneir, I'm spelling it wrong, but lite lunch is served in many cafes. The first few evenings we had to get fast food to take to the hotel so we could put Tara to sleep. The hotel staff brought out plates and silverware for us to use. We ate chinese food, Italian food, oh, but our first meal was at a cafe down the street, called the workers cafe, where we ate delicius pasta with some delicate nutty oil and Nate had a tasty rotissery chicken. We decided to stick with the 'point to something on the menu without knowing what it is' tactic and it worked quite well. No liver for me, although I did end up with a ham and cheese sand. withe and over easy egg on top for one lunch :(
We spent time at the Louvre and the Arc de Triumph (where we ate a meal in a street cafe, with a perfect veiw from about a block away!) and more time in wonderful parks and playgrounds. SOme pictures on our picasa site might enspire some of our friends who might decide to set up a playscape in Lawrence. I'm sure the saftey regs are lacking, but there are some great aspects to them.
I was able to finish another book, 'Prep' which I did not like too well. But at least I'm getting to read! I've read two or three books recently where I did not identify with the main character and simply did not enjoy the book because of that.

Walking around the Latin quarter was remarkable in the way Europe can be; all the small pedestrian streets that curve around and suddenly there is the Eiffel tower, or a castle or a 1000 yr. old something :) Paris is an easy city to explore on your feet, it is large, but all the tourist sites are within a few miles of each other. Our neighbor said that he'd taken the bus around Paris, where we took the Metro. You can see more of the city on a bus since you are not underground most of the time, so I'd try the bus next time.
We are happy to be home, a bit more relaxed, but are really looking forward to our next vacation, this time to Rome. Our time in Germany seems to be going so fast. We've already planned most of our months here and I'm now starting to think about returning home :)

Paris

So we've spent the last week in Paris, which has been absolutely wonderful. I have not found the time to write, although now I seem to think about blogging everytime I do or see something new.
Nate had a great conference in the UNESCO building, titled Extreme Values, so Tara and I got to explore by ourselves for a few days. We found a park at the foot of the Eiffel tower that was so nice we decided to spend each morning there. We met many friendly people there, one, a nanny from Chicago who had been in Paris only two weeks, was helpful in describing other great places for kids in Paris. This was the park in which we found out that Paris was not like it was 15 years ago, the people are friendly and helpful and just a pleasure to be around. I had one of those conversations that I love, one entailing how many languages a child can be taught and still figure out how to speak :) The most I heard about was four. You could think, poor kid, but come on, if I could do that for Tara, I definitely would. I have spent so much time over the last week imagining what I'd blog about, that now I cannot think. So I'll stop with this; Paris is wonderful and most Parisians are quite accommodating. The food is wonderful and the sights are just as you'd imagine. I'm sure I'll continue this next time I have a chance to sit down, but for now, good night from Paris

Biking

I forgot to say that I gave Tara her first haircut last Friday. Curly hair is pretty easy, I just got it wet, combed it and chopped straight across the back and her bangs, she no longer has a mullet, but she does have the generic haircut that all little kids have when their own parents cut their hair :) I think she looks splendid, if I do say so myself!
So the weekend Nate goes away everyone in the complex seems to make it a point to take care of us. Yesterday Hans and his mom brought soup over so the kids could eat diner together (which as a parent you would know is great since both kids will eat competitive style), then I decided not to eat dinner with the family after Tara was in bed because there were "Battlestar Galactica's" to watch. I finished season 2, but tonight when I went to load season 3 it was not there :( That is why I'm writing in my blog, I have to find another show I'm interested in watching.
Today the Hugarian (by way of Sweden) neighbors asked if Tara and I would like to go on a bike ride. They have two boys, one of which was born the same day as Tara. I did not know at the time what I was getting myself into. We went on a 20K bike to a castle and then had to bike home. We started at around 10:30, biked 11K and stopped at a biergarten for lunch, this was great, lots of playthings for the kids and good food. We set out again, and by early afternoon we parked our bikes and walked up a path to the castle, collecting snail shells as we went. The castle buildings were beautiful, it was called Dornburger Schlösser, go check it out on the web!
So we wandered around for an hour or two and then we were ready to return. It was 4PM! Tara and Momo had only taken about 1/2 hr nap earlier in the day, so about 10 minutes into the ride Tara fell asleep on the back on my bike (no droopy head protection there) I stopped to prop her up a bit and then went the wrong way (up a hugh hill :( and had to come back down, thank goodness Zsolt, pronounced Yort, had my cell phone number and called to tell me I was lost). We were able to get Jamby, the four yr old, to trade seats and Tara and Momo slept for a while. We got home at 6PM. We were all tired, but quited pleased with ourselves.
Nate will return from the UAE tomorrow and he'll get to be on poopy diaper duty again for a while :) However, if Tara has her way, she'll be out of diapers by the weeks end, she is practically potty training herself. We ask if she wants to go, and if she goes we just do a little dance and give her a kiss. That is all the reward she needs! She's a keeper.

Weekend without Nate-part II

Nate ran off to the UAE to a seminar/conference for the weekend, and we're home trying to stay away from the neighbor boy who beats Tara up. Last night he scratched her face. I'll try to be a bit more vigilant. Our only other tragedy was a ruined soup. I now know that #2 on the stove is not simmer, it is still hot enough to boil rapidly, and that I probably won't keep cooking things while I put Tara to bed :) Other than burning the bottom the soup might have been good had I not bought this grain that looked a bit like qinoua, but it did not absorb the flavor of the soup. I guess I should translate the name and see if I want to try eating it in some other way :) Ahhh, gold millet, I think I'll give this to the compost unless someone facebooks me with the BEST recipe for its use :)
Tara is trying to stop taking her afternoon nap, the last two days she has cried for over 45 minutes, but once she falls asleep she sleeps for her 1.5 to 2 hrs. So I don't feel like I can let her give them up just yet.
We are finally having good weather again, it is around 70 today and sunny and beautiful, it is a nice weekend to spend outside.
I started writing but now I can't think of anything I want to say, so I should go take a nap before Tara wakes up